


please, just breathe

by idontknowhowtoread (heatherpotts)



Category: Asagao Academy: Normal Boots Club
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Drowning, Near Death, a lot of things dont really make sense in this but who care just go with it, also ian and jeff are roommates again. huge cranium, dont drown in my vincinity im not gonna be able to help you, not really graphic but., not really shippy at all but its them!, probably inaccurate depiction of cpr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 11:05:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18548509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heatherpotts/pseuds/idontknowhowtoread
Summary: Three times Ian begged Luke to breathe.





	please, just breathe

**Author's Note:**

> *dj khaled voice* another one.
> 
> angst prompt from here: https://snake-noodles.tumblr.com/post/176196126762/150-angsthorror-prompts
> 
> 49\. "Please, just breathe."

“In a compromising viewpoint, all I have to do is recall!” Luke finished, punching the air in celebration of another near perfect run. The smile on his face couldn't fool Ian, though. The rap certainly wasn't easy, despite the veil of effortlessness Luke tried to put on. Even after all this practice, it still left Luke struggling for air, both during and after.

 

“Jesus, Luke,” Ian chuckled, holding his hands out in front of him as if he was trying to calm a wild animal. Luke barely acknowledged him, still coming down from his rap driven high, smiling so wide, laughing so hard, but that didn't reassure Ian at all. “Okay- God, Luke, please just breathe.”

 

Ian held Luke's shoulder in an attempt to steady him. Luke exhaled heavily through his nose, finally realizing his need for air and sucking in several deep breaths, subconsciously leaning into Ian's touch. Ian left his hand where it was, it was clear that Luke needed it, but Ian certainly wasn't happy about it.

 

…

 

Well, maybe he was a little happy about it.

 

Luke's laughter slowly died down, but his smile never faded.

 

“Jesus, you scare me sometimes,” Ian chuckled, _fuck,_ now he was smiling too. Luke rolled his eyes, finally having regained the oxygen to form coherent thoughts.

 

“What, is the rap game too strong for you?”

 

“No, fuck, I just want you to breathe!” Ian retorted, too giddy, too adoring, too _exhausted_ to be truly irritated.

 

“Mm- Real rap masters don't have to breathe.”

 

Ian considered letting Luke suffocate next time, but in all honesty, he would never be able to live with himself if he did.

 

“Guess you'll just have to settle for being a rap god,” Ian snided, elbowing Luke in the side. “One with _lungs._ ”

 

Maybe Luke was still too oxygen deprived to truly understand what Ian had said, because he was still thinking about it for days afterwards.

 

\---

 

The library was silent, discouraging Ian from calling out for Luke. He had texted Luke asking where they were meeting in the library to study, but he hadn't answered. Maybe it slipped his mind, maybe his phone died or he turned it off for a better study environment.

 

That didn't sound quite right. Unsurprisingly, Luke loved listening to music while he studied, and he almost always had his charger on him.

 

Somehow, even with an upcoming week of tests upon tests, the library was completely deserted. Not even Satch or Wallid, who often spent their free time here were present, not even the librarian herself. _It isn't closed, right? The doors were open…_

 

Wandering through the library, Ian strained to hear anything. For one, the sound of vents and heaters running, struggling through the winter. His own footsteps, maybe the rustling pages of a book left open somewhere, but no sign of Luke.

 

Until he heard tapping. Tucked into the corner of the room next to the one Ian was in, he had almost missed it. Unmistakable rhythm, the end of a pencil against wood, presumably tapping to whatever Luke was listening to.

 

Ian approached, the sound of tapping getting louder and clearer, until he realized it wasn't a song at all.

 

Somehow, Luke still hadn't noticed him. Maybe it was _supposed_ to be a song, his earbuds were still in, but the sound quickly fell apart, sounding more and more like a frantic comfort.

 

Had Luke forgotten about their plans? It seemed like he wasn't expecting company, his hat lazily thrown to the side and his head buried in his arms, desperately tapping away. Ian couldn't hear what Luke was mumbling into his arms, but…

 

_No, no, no._

 

_Is he crying?_

 

Ian felt a bit dirty for his continued inaction, and rushed to his side.

 

“Luke- Oh my God, Luke, are you okay?” Ian nearly shouted, making sure Luke could hear him. Luke raised his head slightly in acknowledgement, allowing Ian a glimpse of puffy red eyes. He quickly collapsed back into his arms, as if he was pretending Ian wasn't there. Ian was now within earshot to hear the sobs buried in Luke's arms, and wrapped his arm around his shoulders in an attempt to be comforting.

 

“Hey, Luke…” Ian felt stupid for having no idea what to say, as it was obvious Luke wasn't okay. “Can you look at me…?”

 

Wordlessly, Luke raised his head, tears still dripping from his eyes, but eerily silent. As he turned to face Ian on the bench, Ian realized he was holding his breath. The _last_ thing Luke needed right now.

 

“Luke, please, just breathe,” Ian begged in an almost frenzied tone, one he had never expected out of himself.

 

Unexpected, but effective. Luke's chest moved quickly, desperately, and he threw his arms around Ian's neck, sobbing into his shoulder.

 

Heaving and gasping through his tears, but breathing. That was enough for Ian, and he simply held him and shushed him until the tears stopped.

 

As it turned out, Luke's condition was caused by many things. Frustration with his music, how he had been letting his thoughts fester and grow more violent and agonizing, feelings of isolation only worsened by the added weight of schoolwork and his crush on a girl he didn't stand a chance with.

 

Ian didn't know much about girls, but he failed to understand how anyone could be out of Luke's league. Fuck, Luke _owned_ the league.

 

But Luke wasn't asking for advice, he wasn't expecting anything at all. All Ian could offer was comfort, reassurance, and several reminders to breathe.

 

That was all Luke really needed.

 

They never did get to any of their studying, but Luke did perfectly fine on his tests, so it didn't really matter. Ian wouldn't have changed a thing.

 

\---

 

The whole event was a bit of a blur for Ian.

 

He remembered Luke texting him something about how he was going for a night swim, that he was welcome to join him, with a winky face attached at the end. Ian asked if that was allowed, he was pretty sure they weren't supposed to leave the dorms after 10PM, although he rarely obeyed that rule himself.

 

Luke said he wasn't worried about it. Ian said he'd pass, that it was already a stressful day for him and he needed to get some rest.

 

Luke said “sweet dreams,” with a smiley face attached at the end. _Cute, but stupid._

 

After that, he must have fallen asleep, but he remembered Jeff bursting into their room, screaming Ian's name, as if he wasn't sure if he was really in there.

 

Ian was about to yell at him back, but then he realized Jeff was out of breath, his face red, tears streaming down his face.

 

He seemed slightly relieved that Ian was here, but clearly, something was wrong.

 

He said something had happened to Luke. Something _bad._

 

Jeff didn't provide any further details or context, simply grabbing Ian's hand and dragging him out of the dorms. Ian didn't have time to question if this was allowed.

 

He wasn't sure where Jeff was taking him at first, and Jeff wouldn't answer when he asked. Maybe Jeff hadn't heard him, since Ian was already out of breath just trying to keep up with him. Really, Ian shouldn't have expected to go anywhere other than Poppy Hall, the entrance now swarmed by vehicles with flashing lights.

 

And yet, no sirens. It was eerily quiet, only the sounds of their footsteps and Ian's own harsh breathing, only able to listen to his own racing thoughts about what might have happened.

 

For some reason, the people, _what were they, paramedics? They_ let them in, a woman escorting them to the pool, telling them to take a seat in the corner furthest from where Luke was now.

 

 _Luke._ Ian didn't know what he was expecting, all of his racing thoughts had never truly settled on the fact that Luke could be seriously hurt. That something _actually bad_ happened, whether an accident or something else, that could change everything. That he might not be breathing.

 

Ian shivered.

 

Jeff never let go of Ian's hand, his grip hard enough to hurt, but not enough for Ian to tell him to stop. The same woman draped a blanket over their shoulders, told them not to go anywhere and that they shouldn't panic. Jeff thanked her, a forced smile that wasn't free of tears. Ian couldn't bring himself to respond.

 

Luke, his name raced through Ian's thoughts, filled every corner of his mind. Luke, _what even happened to him?_ He couldn't see Luke through the crowd of people around him, so maybe he wasn't even there.

 

But with the pieces of conversation he could pick out, _“Jesus, poor kid,”_ and _“You think it was an accident?”_ Ian didn't think it was too far off to assume. Between those hushed voices, numbered compressions and status updates on his fading vitals were called out.

 

At some point, Ian wasn't sure exactly when, he had started crying. Something about the overwhelming bustling of paramedics, being unable to get even a glimpse of Luke, and the tranquility of the open pool next to them was too much for him to handle.

 

Jeff clearly noticed, but couldn't offer much more for comfort than a gentle squeeze, somewhat comforting in the fact that they were both equally terrified.

 

Nobody had ever told Ian it was going to be okay. Not Jeff, not the woman, not anyone. How did Jeff even find out? _God, how long had Luke been down there…?_

 

Breathlessly, only meant to be heard by Luke, who had absolutely no chance of hearing it, Ian whispered to himself.

 

“Please, just breathe.”

 

…

 

…

 

…

 

_“25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30.”_

 

Silence, shaking heads from some of the people off to the side. They seemed almost ready to give up, and Ian wanted to scream at them to keep going, but couldn't find it in him.

 

Ian clung to Jeff for support, and supposed he should take his own advice. Forced, raggedy and heaving is better than nothing, so he inhaled deeply, the chlorine in the air almost suffocating.

 

He held it for a couple seconds, then released it, and repeated.

 

_“9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14-”_

 

A loud gasp emitted from the other side of the room, followed by coughing and spluttering, vomiting water. Ian still couldn't see the center, but the conversation around Luke picked up.

 

_“Oh my God-”_

_“Oh- That's it. Just breathe.”_

_“Holy shit-”_

_“And you said you didn't believe in miracles, Mira.”_

_“Shut up! Can I just be happy for the kid? He's damn lucky.”_

 

Ian knew it, Jeff knew it, everyone knew it.

 

Jeff sighed, finally drawing in another breath, chuckling quietly as he squeezed Ian again. Ian futilely scrubbed at his eyes, making little progress in getting rid of his tears. He couldn't let Luke see him like this, Luke had already been through enough.

 

“Thank God,” Jeff whispered, sounding utterly exhausted.

 

Ian couldn't think up a witty response, only leaned further into Jeff, trying his hardest to empty all of his tears before Luke would get the chance to see them.

 

Eventually, Luke did. Maybe it was the oxygen deprivation, he was still rather pale, but he didn't seem to mind.

 

**Author's Note:**

> what happened to luke? damn idk you decide


End file.
